Device for stringing labels and the like



March 11, 1941, MILLER 2,234,679

DEVICE FOR s'rmuewe mums AND THE LIKE Filed July 11, 1939 2 Sheet-Sheet 1 I NV ENTOR'. @EORQE HLLHN MILLER HTTORNE" March 11, 1941. MlLLEfi 2,234,679

DEVICE FOR STRINGING LABELS AND THE LIKE INV ENTOR'. G50 RGE HLLHN MILLER FITTORNEI Patented Mar. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFEQE George Allan Miller, Edinburgh, Scotland Application July 11, 1939, Serial No. 283,731 In Great Britain July 30, 1938 2 Claims.

My invention has for its object to provide a device for stringing labels and the like, that is to say, applying a predetermined length of string which is out off and looped on the label, in a simple, efiicient and expeditiousmanner. The invention is more particularly applicable for stringing labels, but may be used for other purposes.

According to my invention the device consists of an upright needle or guide supported by a bracket fixed to a revolving tubular spindle. Arranged within the revolving tubular spindle is a fixed tubular spindle on the upper end of which is mounted a disc or the like provided with a spring fork or gripper, and also a cutter the movable member of which is operatively connected to a sliding sleeve, on the fixed spindle, and operated against the action of a spring and push rod by a cam fixed on a revolving shaft on which is also fixed a bevel wheel gearing with a second bevel wheel on the revolving tubular spindle.

On the revolving tubular spindle is fixed a disc, and on the disc is a small spindle to receive a bobbin on which the string iswound.

The bottom end of the device, with the bevel wheels, is preferably arranged in an oil bath.

In order that my said invention and the manner of performing the same may be properly understood I hereunto append two sheets of explanatory drawings, to be hereinafter referred to in describing my invention.

Figure 1 is a sectional front elevation of the improved device. Figure 2 is a plan. Figures 3 and 4 are respectively a plan of the string guide, and a side elevation of the cutter, both drawn to a larger size. Figure 5 is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1, and Figure 6 is a strung label after being drawn oil the spring gripper. In these drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.

As shown in the drawings the device consists of a guide I, supported by a bracket 2, fixed to a revolving tubular spindle 3. Arranged within the 45 revolving tubular spindle 3, is a fixed tubular spindle 4, on the upper end of which is mounted a fixed disc 5, provided with a spring gripper 6 constructed of two spring members in contact with each other at their unsupported ends, and also a cutter 'I, the movable member 8, of which is operatively connected to a sliding sleeve 9, on the fixed spindle 4, and operated against the action of a spring ID, by push rod II, actuated by a cam I2, on a shaft I3.

A small vertically sliding pin I4, is arranged at the rear of the spring gripper 6, and is supported by a. bracket I5 (Figure 5), fixed to the sliding sleeve 9, and working against the action of a spring I6. The object of the pin I4, is to ensure that on the second revolution of the guide I, the 5 string I7, will pass and be guided outside of that pin.

The string I I, is carried on a bobbin I8, Figure 1, on a disc I9, fixed to the revolving tubular spindle 3, and the string is led from the bobbin I 8, to and through the string guide I.

The device is preferably driven from an electric motor (not shown) through the usual reduction gear, to a sprocket wheel 20, and thence to a pair of sprocket Wheels 2|, and 22, and finally through a pair of bevel wheels 23, and 24, to the tubular rotating spindle 3. In this case the rotating and movable parts of the device continue to function all the time the motor is running, but it may be desired, in some cases, to stop or reduce the speed of the rotating and movable parts of the device, without stopping the motor, so as to enable the operator more time to remove a strung label and replace it by a fresh label, and in this case a brake block 25, Figure 1, actuated by a cam 26, on a shaft 21, would bear against the under side of the disc II].

In operation the action of the device is as follows:

The label 28, is made with the usual hole, and is drawn up over the spring gripper 6, and the string I1, from the bobbin I8, is inserted in the guide I (Figure 1), and after making approximately one revolution clockwise, the guide passes between the members of the spring gripper 6, and on emerging from the gripper the latter grips and holds the string, whilst the guide makes another revolution and again enters the gripper and on emerging the string isagain held by the gripper, and as the guide passes the cutter the string is drawn between the open jaws of the latter, the movable member 8, of which is closed by the cam l 2, push rod II, and the sliding sleeve 9, the movable member 8, of the cutter being opened again by the reaction of a spring 29,, shown in Figure 4. The string after being severed forms a loop the size of which is determined by passing round outside of the pin I4, whilst the ends of the string project on opposite sides of the gripper 6, as shown in Figure 2. The action of pulling the label off the gripper B, completes the stringing of the label, which then appears as if the b ight of the string had been passed through the hole in the label and the ends of the string passed through the bight and pulled taut, as shown in Figure 6.

What I claim is:

1. A device for stringing labels, comprising a rotatable tubular spindle, a bracket secured on said spindle, and a string guide supported on said bracket, a fixed tubular spindle extending through said rotatable spindle, a disk mounted on the upper end of said fixed spindle, a spring gripper carried by said disk for holding the label to be strung, a cutter mounted on said disk for severing the string at predetermined intervals, means carried by said fixed spindle for operating said cutter, means for rotating said rotatable spindle, and means associated with said rotating means for actuating the cutter-operating means during rotation of the spindle.

2. A device for stringing labels as set forth in claim 1, said cutter comprising a fixed member and a movable member normally held under spring tension out of contact with the fixed member, and the cutter-operating means comprising a spring supported sleeve mounted for sliding movement on the fixed spindle and operatively connected With said movable cutter member to move the same against the tension of its spring into cooperative cutting engagement with the fixed cutter member, a slidable push rod disposed in said fixed spindle in engagement with said sleeve to operate the same against the tension of its spring, and a cam carried by the rotating means for actuating said push rod.

GEORGE ALLAN MILLER. 

